Modernizing the lottery retail experience: Technology that delivers effortless operation, unmatched security and exponential sales growth

“Today’s retail environment is digital, data-driven and designed for speed. Purchasing instant scratch games, in many retail locations, is not,” says Michael Martin, VP, Retail Solutions at Scientific Games. “This gap is no longer sustainable.”

Martin, who has worked with retailers of every size and with every kind of store environment for more than 25 years, understands the challenges of offering scratch games in-store.

Retailers face mounting operational pressures: time-consuming inventory management and accounting, persistent game out-of-stocks and ongoing concerns about product theft. Lotteries lack real-time visibility into instant game sales performance, instant game interactions within a market basket and consumer behavior. And players—perhaps most critically—encounter an inconsistent, often confusing purchase journey that limits engagement, discourages spur of the moment purchases and hinders new game discovery.

Modernizing how a consumer product with $111 billion in annual global sales is purchased and sold at retail is no longer optional — it is essential to remain competitive.

What is SCiQ?

SCiQ is a powerful instant game ecosystem that dispenses, merchandises and tracks games at the ticket level, providing real-time visibility and actionable data empowers retailers and lotteries to drive sales and maximize revenues.

“The system was designed for a new era of retail. It modernizes the in-store lottery experience to meet the needs of connected retailers and consumers, delivering smarter operations, better visibility through dynamic digital menu boards and an easier path to purchase,” Martin explains.

SCiQ is redefining what lottery can be in-store. At the center of this shift is an intelligent ecosystem approach—one that integrates secure dispensing, real-time analytics and dynamic merchandising into a seamless experience. The goal is simple but powerful: to make instant games easier to sell, easier to buy and ultimately, drive improved sales performance.

Measurable Impact

Since launching, more than $8 billion in instant game tickets have been processed through SCiQ. The award-winning ecosystem has proven successful at scale, with more than 10,000 units deployed across 18+ U.S. and international lottery jurisdictions.

On average, jurisdictions see 12–14% sales uplift, with some retailers achieving gains of up to 40%. At the same time, operational inefficiencies are reduced—out-of-stocks decline, theft is minimized and lost sales opportunities are recaptured. Millions in previously unrealized revenue have been unlocked simply by ensuring the right scratch game products are available at the right time in the right stores.

“SCiQ’s results aren’t theoretical—they’re being validated every day on the retail floor,” says Martin. “Operational efficiencies, security and a modern retail experience enable retailer expansion, which is particularly important for corporate retailers and chains.”

At a large American grocery chain, operational visibility has fundamentally changed how lottery is managed. As one store’s customer service manager put it, “The red alerts on the [SCiQ] clerk terminal are fantastic at alerting our clerks that bins are approaching out of stock. The ability to keep multiple packs in a bin helps keep our bins full.” This real-time intervention directly reduces missed sales and improves consistent performance.

The shift is equally clear at a major convenience store chain with stores in the U.S. and Canada. “The ability to track sales, lost opportunities and reduce losses has been a game changer,” noted a category manager for lottery/gaming/kiosks, underscoring how data visibility is transforming day-to-day operations and decision-making.

From a lottery’s perspective, the impact extends beyond operations to execution and scalability. A U.S. top five performing instant game lottery’s director described the rollout of SCiQ at retailers as “a smooth, turn-key process…a refreshingly easy and successful implementation,” making expansion an obvious next step.

When Data Replaces Guesswork with Precision

Real-time ticket-level visibility into instant game sales enables both retailers and lotteries to shift from reactive to proactive decision-making. Instead of discovering problems after the fact, operators can identify issues—like empty bins, unlaunched games or non-compliant planograms—as they happen and resolve them immediately.

Beyond operations, advanced analytics unlock deeper insights into player behavior, revealing which games are purchased together and where incremental growth opportunities exist.

Equally transformative is the improved consumer experience.

“Modern lottery retail environments are cleaner, more intuitive and more engaging,” says Chris Allen, Senior Vice President, International Strategy for Scientific Games, who has worked with lotteries across Europe for more than two decades. “SCiQ’s digital menu boards showcase games dynamically, simplifying choice while encouraging impulse purchases and creating visibility for new games and unlocking gamification.”

Players benefit from real-time information on available games, price points and which games are ending soon, allowing them to make faster, more confident decisions. The result is a purchase journey that feels less transactional and more like a modern retail experience.

Security also becomes an enabler. With secure, trackable inventory and smart dispensing, retailers can confidently offer higher price-point games that were previously considered too risky. In high-theft environments, SCiQ eliminates losses, restores retailer confidence and protects revenue for both retailers and lotteries.

Solving Challenges for Today and the Future

“With SCiQ, scratch games are no longer a static product tucked behind the retail counter—or displayed in outdated, overflowing or sometimes empty plastic bins,” Allen explains. “Scratch games become a connected, intelligent retail category—digitally displayed and fully integrated into the broader store experience.”

Operations and complex lottery accounting processes are streamlined, merchandising is elevated and sales performance is continuously optimized through data.

And importantly, this transformation does not require retailers or lotteries to shoulder the burden alone. With scalable deployment models, no upfront capital requirements and proven implementation frameworks, modernization can be both accessible and low-risk—while delivering immediate and sustained returns.

The question is no longer whether lottery retail modernization works.

The question is how long lotteries and their retailers can afford to wait.

Because in today’s retail landscape, effortless operation, unmatched security and exponential sales growth are not aspirational—they are essential to sustaining lottery beneficiary funding.

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^{SOURCE: SCiQ results based on real deployments in lottery markets.
SCiQ® is a registered trademark of Scientific Games. ©2026 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.}

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